Pinky Swear
by ms. simplylovely
Summary: -Sequel to Infinity Heart- Tony is slowly getting used to what it takes to be in a steady relationship. But now with a deadly secret he's not willing to share, could it be the final push to losing the only person he actually sees a future with? [Tony Stark/OC]
1. Jury Duty

Fan of IH, your prays have been heard and now answered! The sequel to Infinity Heart is here! Praise be, y'all!

Now, no need to introduce myself if you've read the previous story (or any of my others) you readers know well who I am. So instead I'll say welcome back and here's the continued tale of our genius lovers, Tegan and Tony. _**-Lovely**_

* * *

 **What you need to know:** This story will be following the storyline of the movie _Iron Man II_ with my OC's involvement so expect some AU stuff mixed in but not too much, don't worry.

* * *

 _ **-Pinky Swear**_

 _ **-Paring(s): Tony Stark/OC**_

 _ **-Rating: High T for language, suggested violence, and slight adult situations**_

 _ **-Movie-based**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man II. The characters belong to Marvel Studios and Stan Lee. I only own any OCs introduced.**_

* * *

 **chapter one:**

"Jury Duty"

 _Swaying to my own sound_

 _Flashes in my face now_

 _All I know is everybody loves me_

-Everybody Loves Me, OneRepublic

* * *

Classic rock filled the air, echoing off the concrete walls of the workshop/garage. It still looked the same—cluttered with tools and metal, various sports cars, the lounge area—with the newest addition. Off to left and close by Stark's desk was four ceiling-to-floor glass displays which contained the suits created so far. The Mark I, II, III, & IV stood there like ever watching protectors that would come alive if danger was present. Normally, someone would find them creepy but not Tegan. They were Tony and hers' so-called 'babies'.

Said person was alone in the underground level under the hood of a _1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28_ she was currently restoring. Her long brown-blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun; seriously contemplating earlier if she should cut it shorter once taming the rat nest it had been. Some pesky strands had slipped free and clung to her sweaty face. A black faded band tee and ripped skinny jeans with light blue low top Vans decorated with pictures of sprinkled donuts was her outfit for that night. She couldn't care less that it didn't match. It was comfortable just like the element she was in at the moment.

The female genius was close to finishing the task at hand, having tinkered with the engine which was being placed into the vintage vehicle manually. If the engine started correctly and the car ran smoothly, the only thing left was a new paint job and then she could show off her sweet ride to the guys at the shop.

No one but her, Jarvis, and Dummy were in the house at the time. Usually, she'd call Joven to hang out but apparently he had some date with a mystery girl he lacked to go into details about yet. She was glad he seemed officially moved on. The first couple of months had been awkward but gradually returned to a somewhat normal.

But the young woman would notice every now and then the brief resentment that flashed across his blue eyes whenever seeing Tony. They were still best friends but weren't practically glued at the hip like before. The reminder made a small sad sigh escape her.

And Pepper was mostly likely enjoying her much needed night off after the past two hectic weeks she endured. Hayes felt her pain deeply, having been sucked into the chaos too like an abrupt tornado.

 _As for Tony.._

Grey eyes drifted over to the muted tv that showed an extraordinary entrance for Iron Man _aka Tony Stark_. He stood on a stage surrounded by cheering people and pretty female dancers sexily dressed like the superhero. It seemed the re-instituted Stark Expo was being well received as desired. She just hoped Tony was truly glad about that. Lately, she noticed he acted a bit moody for the past few weeks, having her wonder if he'd been nervous that the event wouldn't be a hit since it was him and not his late father hosting.

"..Ow, shit!" came a loud exclaim, disturbing the music in the cluttered space then. Distracted by the tv, a sharp piece inside accidentally cut her as she pulled her right hand out. Bringing her bleeding thumb to her mouth with pained whimper, the Irish woman sucked away the blood from the small but deep gash there.

" _Madam, I'm afraid that is not deem very sanitary._ " Jarvis chimed with concern, ever the disembodied mother hen. " _Please use the first aid kit provided in the cabinet instead._ "

"Yes, mum." she sighed, removing the still bleeding appendage. Tegan was tempted to just wipe it off on the borrowed _Black Sabbath_ shirt she wore to spite the nagging AI but decided against it. It was a precious item of her boyfriend after all.

 _Boyfriend._ Hayes instantly blushed at the word. Half a year in and still the thought of her and Tony as a couple made her cheeks rosy like a giddy school girl. Shaking off her silliness, the young woman straighten from her leaning position and reluctantly did as Jarvis told.

Once her wound was sterilized and bandaged, she plopped down on the couch for a much needed break. She'd been working nonstop on her car—a recent birthday gift from Tony—in order to keep herself busy with something mundane after the older man confessed to the world live he was Iron Man. Since then, Tegan was his in-the-shadows sidekick, working with Jarvis on every mission her lover did and repairing or upgrading the suits. Like promised, she was sticking by him constantly.

Personality-wise, he was still the same..though Tegan and Pepper believed the Iron Man reveal boosted his already staggering ego up further. Minus the frequent ventures with different women, it'd be weird if he changed his well-known lifestyle completely now that he was in a serious _secret_ relationship—the first he ever had, to be honest.

And Stark was surprisingly doing well with the lack of sex escapades since the young woman wanted to take things slow. He took their relationship very earnestly too. He tried to spoil Tegan as much as she would allow before getting irritated; ever the doting boyfriend. The same went for her except the billionaire actually loved being showered with gifts of all types and kinds.

Thankfully, the media hadn't figured anything out as they were also careful to act the same around each other as usual, keeping the lovey dovey stuff safely at home. Though occasionally the lovers would sneak off and share a kiss or more..but it never went as far as a few heavy petting sessions.

But even there, the two took extra precautions with the help of Jarvis since Pepper, Happy, or Rhodey were still in the dark; Joven being the only one to know for obvious reasons. The two knew they couldn't keep it secret too much longer. Sure enough one of them will end up slipping even after six lucky but cautious months.

Tegan decided to un-mute the sound once the extravagant opening was over, tuning into what Tony was saying while thinking briefly the suit he wore was a good choice.

"..Please, it's not about me. It's not about you. It's not even about us—it's about legacy. It's about what we choose to leave behind for future generations." he informed the crowd with his keynote speech, "And that's why for the next year and for the first time since 1974, the best and brightest men and women of nations and corporations the world over will pool their resources, share their collective vision, to leave behind a brighter future. It's not about us."

A small round of applause appeared then as people agreed with his words.

"Therefore, what I'm saying—if I'm saying anything—is welcome back to the _Stark Expo._ "

Still not a fan of such social events, Hayes chose to stay home instead of with him in Flushing Meadows surrounded with flashing lights, fake people, and screaming fans. She felt bad not being physically there to support him even if she hated the attention but it was better than being stuck with a grumpy and complaining Tegan. Yeah, _no one_ would want to see that.

"Jarvis, call Tony for me, please." she asked while watching said person finish and walk off stage. It would still be good to call at least; show she was wishing him best on the other side of America.

" _Right away, madam._ "

* * *

It was getting worse. Bit by bit, his condition.

With a 19% blood toxicity, he knew he needed to get checked out but the cure for his progressing ailment was so far impossible, using Chlorophyll drinks to try and bay the symptoms some. It was the result of having palladium leak into his body from the Arc Reactor but he needed it to live. So, Tony secretly tried to find a replacement to use instead.

His phone started to vibrate from his pants' pocket then, bringing him out of troubled thoughts. A picture of a sleeping Tegan showed on the touchscreen. He groaned slightly as she was still in the dark about his illness. Though, the young woman knew of the hazard having mentioned it after a mission one day—long before the side effects reared their ugly heads.

" _We should really make another Arc for just the suit." she stated once he was completely out of the Mark IV. "Using just your chest one all the time will burn you out sooner or later. Literally."_

" _Relax, babe, I know. So far, I'm fit as a fiddle." he brushed off, walking pass her. His forearm was grabbed and kept him from going any farther. A heavy sigh left him, glancing over his shoulder at his concern girlfriend._

" _Just because you're a superhero now, doesn't mean you were born as one physically—"_

 _He interrupted, lifting his hand in her grasp to her cheek. "Tegan. Let me worry about my health. You have enough on your plate already." The two stared for a moment before she gave up._

" _..Fine, but take what I see into consideration, 'kay?" Hayes frowned, fixing him with hard grey eyes._

" _Oh. Sure thing!" Stark promised with a quick kiss to her forehead._

"So much for that promise." he muttered bitterly as he finally answered.

" _Took you long enough._ " came the familiar Irish lilt the man had grown to adore through the speaker.

"Sorry! Things are kinda wild over here."

" _So I can see._ " the female genius noted, a smile in her voice. " _By the way,_ _nice entrance you did there, diva._ "

"Hey, you know I love to put on a show." His tone all but suggestive. Tegan's contiguous laughter filled his ears which had him joining along right away. By the time their laughter toned down, they both had tears in their eyes and were out of breath.

" _Ugh, my sides hurt along with my thumb now. Thanks, you arse._ "

"Your thumb? What happened, you okay?"

"I can assure you I'll live. Just a cut myself while fixing the _Camaro_." The image of Tegan bent over under the hood with her peach-shaped bottom in plain view invaded his sex-starved mind. He couldn't help but groan low in his throat.

On the other side of the phone, his lover raised a brow. " _You all right?_ "

"Yeah..just be careful what you tell me next time." Tony responded, his voice sounding strained. "I have a vivid imagination, remember?"

"Vivid..oh..Oh!" She blushed red, suddenly flustered as well. "I-I'll definitely try to keep that in mind for now on."

He smirked before teasing, "Want me to tell you what—"

"Enjoy the rest of the Expo, Tony. Stay out of trouble!" The call abruptly ended then, leaving him blinking for a moment. Once recovered, he sighed with a smile. It was good to know he wasn't the only one wishing for inappropriate things to happen. The genius figured as much from the subtle hints his girlfriend gave lately but she was too shy to act upon them fully. She expected him to push it along and he would have already if not for..

"Hey, Tony! Come on," came Happy's voice, bringing him back to the present. "You still got some meet and greets to do before we can head out."

" _Back on the clock."_ he thought before walking over to his friend, seeming as if his world wasn't slowly crashing around him.

* * *

"Tony, pay attention."

"But you're far more interesting."

Tegan tried very hard not to blush in the court room filled to the brim with government officials and observant press. Not to mention, Pepper sat a row behind them and could see everything they did plain as day. She wanted to be anywhere but there. But when Potts called early that morning and informed her of the subpoena Tony was served last night, she had to reluctantly get out of her comfy bed. This whole thing came about because of the suit and since she assisted in the build, she had to be at that hearing with her nonchalant lover. But she was gonna let him do all the talking unless it was absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, he continued to stare at her with a wide smile as he rested his head in his hand; completely unaware or not caring that Senator Stern glared at him. The genius instead casually took in the young woman's assemble—violet colored long sleeved blouse, dark dress pants, and plain black high heels. Her hair was down and draped over on shoulder. She left a few top buttons open on her blouse, allowing her collarbone to be seen along with the chain that held her mother's ring. God, how he wanted to just lean over and—

"Mr. Stark, could we pick up now where we left off?" Stern requested then, still getting no response. "Mr. Stark please." Hayes snapped her fingers in front of his face, getting his full attention again. She harshly gestured for him to face forward before cooling her annoyed expression to a calm one. Mentally sighing, the man obeyed.

"Yes, dear?" he said in his ever snarky way. Chuckles came from the people around at that while the young woman wished to tell them not to encourage him further.

"Can I have your attention?" was asked of him which he agreed with a smile, "Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?"

"I do not." he denied simply.

Stern raised a brow. "You do not?"

"I do not.." Stark paused for a second, pondering. "Well, it depends on how you define the word 'weapon.'"

"The Iron Man weapon." the United States Senator clarified.

"My device does not fit that description."

"Well..how would you describe it?"

"I would describe it by defining it as what it is, Senator."

"As?"

"It's a, hmm..it's a high-tech prosthesis." Tony told seriously though to the people around it sounded as if he was joking. "That's actually the most apt description I can make of it."

"It's a weapon. It's a weapon, Mr. Stark." Tegan tried very hard not to roll her eyes at that. These people made it seem like Tony had created the next atomic bomb. Yes, the suit was powerful but it could only bring harm to the public if he _choose_ to which he never would. It was the government who couldn't be trusted. It was so obvious they just wanted it for their own selfish purpose. But since they could not just take it themselves, this idiotic hearing was called to order to try and show the dangers of it not being in the _right hands_.

" _Which is a total load of bullshit."_ she thought before leaning forward to speak into the mic in front of her. Her tone came out sounding polite but her words were condescending. "Excuse me, Senator, but let's have a little English lesson as it seems you and your associates are still unable to properly understand my caregiver, Mr. Stark."

She continued on, not waiting for his permission. "There are two well-known definitions for weapon in the dictionary. One, _a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage,_ and two, _a means of gaining an advantage or defending oneself in a conflict or contest._ "

"Now, sir, which of those best fits what the _'Iron Man weapon'_ ," Hayes air quoted his earlier wording sarcastically. "has done so far?"

"The first term obviously—"

"Wrong! Tony has only ever used it to either defend himself and any country in danger. Even in the suit he hasn't killed anyone, just destroyed weapons they were planning to use for just that. So I can testify accurately for I've seen so with my own eyes and have documented records of every mission he has done."

Leaning back in her chair with crossed arms and smug expression, she added lastly. "Which I'd be more than happy to pull onscreen to confirm for you and all of America watching, Senator Stern. Because no offense, but your firewall systems are..excuse my French, kinda shit."

A chuckled murmur filled the chamber as the crowd whispered what just happen while Stern and his council talked among themselves. With her last statement, they weren't taking it lightly. Tegan wasn't the suppose heiress to the Stark throne for nothing.

"Thought you weren't gonna get involved, Turtle?" her boyfriend uttered, smiling proudly. Yeah, she may have just put herself on the 'person of interest' list with her admittance to her hacker abilities. But the female genius had had enough of the Senator's blatant dislike for Tony and his stubbornness to stay silent.

"He pisses me off." she remarked, shrugging.

The genius chuckled softly. "You and me both, babe."

When Stern spoke again, he was still as adamant as ever still. "Even so, Ms. Hayes, the Iron Man weapon is a danger to America if—"

"Please," the billionaire scoffed, "If your priority was actually the well-being of the American citizen—"

"My priority is to get the Iron Man weapon turned over to the people of the United States of America."

"Well, you can forget it." the genius refused together.

"I am Iron Man." added Tony, "The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you're in. You can't have it."

"Look, I'm no expert.."

"In prostitution? Of course not." he said mockingly, "You're a senator. Come on." He turned and gave a peace sign to the laughing crowd earning a sigh and a disapproving expression from the two important women in his lifestyle.

"I'm no expert in weapons. We have somebody here who is an expert on weapons." the Senator continued on, "I'd now like to call Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor." The lovers turned their heads in said person's direction as he stepped into the room and subtly rolled their eyes. Justin Hammer was a business rival of Tony's for a long time now and tried way too hard to get to Stark legacy level but so far with no luck.

"Let the record reflect that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber," Stark noted, "And I am wondering if and when any actual expert will also be in attendance."

Justin laughed lightly. "Absolutely. I'm no expert. I defer to you, Anthony. You're the wonder boy." He looked to Stern then. "Senator, if I may. I may well not be an expert, but you know who was the expert? Your dad. Howard Stark. Really a father to us all, and to the military-industrial age. Let's just be clear. He was no flower child. He was a lion."

Tegan could practically feel Tony's annoyance rolling off him, though he kept a straight face. She knew well how much that man got under his skin; didn't help with Justin addressing him by his full name. The only thing she could do at the moment to appease her secret lover was pat his hand under the table. Dark browns glanced her briefly when she did, gratitude visible in them. He really was happy she was there beside him. Just her presence alone put him at ease but still the young woman felt it was always important to give a bit of physical contact as well.

"We all know why we're here. In the last six months, Anthony Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities and yet he insists it's a shield." Hammer dragged on, just repeat basically what the council previously stated. "He asks us to trust him as we cower behind it. I wish I were comforted, Anthony, I really do. I'd love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain't Canada. You know, we live in a world of grave threats, threats that Mr. Stark will not always be able to foresee."

"Thank you." he finished, peering right at Stark and Hayes who looked completely disinterested. "God bless Iron Man. God bless America."

"That is well said, Mr. Hammer. The committee would now like to invite Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes to the chamber."

That had the two perk up then. "Rhodey? What?" said person's friend repeated, surprised. He stood and walked over as the man arrived, giving a friendly handshake.

"Hey, buddy. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Look, it's me, I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on."

"I just—"

"Drop it."

"All right, I'll drop it."

"Hello, Tegan." Rhodey greeted kindly upon seeing her at the table.

Grey eyes stared at him, feigning hurt. " _Et tu, brute?_ " He blinked before shaking his head with a sigh, taking a seat. _Like predecessor, like successor,_ he thought wryly.

"I have before me a complete report on the Iron Man weapon, compiled by Colonel Rhodes." was informed of everyone. "And Colonel, for the record, can you please read page fifty-seven, paragraph four?"

"You're requesting that I read specific selections from my report. Senator?"

"Yes, sir."

"It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner."

"I understand. A lot of things have changed today." brushed away Stern, "So if you could just read—"

The Colonel interrupted, pressing. "You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summary of my final—"

"Just read it, Colonel. I do. Thank you." The young woman gave Stern an incredulous glare. The shady bastard was really gonna try that cliche maneuver.

" _Wow, he really doesn't have a concrete case then. How sad."_

"Very well." Rhodey had no choice but to comply. The billionaire faced him, wanting to give his full attention on what his best friend wrote. " _As he does not operate within any definable branch of government, Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to her interests._ I did, however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron Man far outweigh the liabilities. And that it would be in our interest.."

"That's enough, Colonel." Stern tried cutting him off again but Rhodey wasn't having it this time. He wasn't about to made it being the bad guy as well to his long time friend.

"To fold Mr. Stark.."

"That's enough."

"..Into the existing chain of command, Senator."

Tony inwardly grinned, pleased greatly by Rhodes' statement. "I'm not a joiner, but I'll consider Secretary of Defense, if you ask nice. We can amend the hours a little bit." The Senators proceeded not to give in, deciding it was time to bring forth their finishing piece if they were gonna win the case.

"I'd like to go on and show, if I may, the imagery that's connected to your report."

"I believe it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the general public at this time." countered the Colonel.

"With all due respect, Colonel, I understand." Stern said, though really didn't. He just wanted to rid Stark of that smug attitude of his for good. "And if you could just narrate those for us, we'd be very grateful." Reluctant, James gestured for the images to be shown on the television provided. He went on to state that they were showing attempts by other hostile countries at recreating the suit.

As he talked, the genius pulled out his specialized personal phone to secretly hack into the government computer system in search of these so-called attempts. The young woman beside him stayed silent and casual while trying not simper. He was just about to prove her earlier statement and it oddly filled her with glee. She blamed hanging out with Tony too much lately as the reason.

"Hold on one second, buddy. Let me see something here." Stark said then, raising his phone to the screen and successfully hacking it. He glanced over at Tegan, grinning hugely. "Oh boy, I'm good. I commandeered your screens. I need them. Time for a little transparency."

"Now, let's see what's really going on. If you will direct your attention to said screens..I believe that's North Korea." A video showed a crudely made suit that looked as if it was based on the Mark I try to walk forward and fell, triggering one of the guns to fire and kill the people around. Stern tried to turn off the screen with Hammer's help but appeared to be frantically fumbling about. Rhodey just sat, knowing there was no point in stopping him. Actually, he was secretly enjoying this.

"Iran." A test launch of their own suit failing as well. "No grave immediate threat here. Is that Justin Hammer?" Sure enough, his business rival could be seen with own prototype and like the others had gone horribly. At last, the television was shut off but the damage was done. The case was a sure win for Tony now.

"Yeah, I'd say most countries, five..ten years away." Stark pointed towards Justin. "Hammer Industries, twenty."

"I'd like to point out that that test pilot survived." said person tried to save face.

"I think we're done, is the point that he's making." Stern stated, "I don't think there's any reason—"

"The point is, you're welcome, I guess."

"For what?"

"Because I'm your nuclear deterrent. It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property? You can't have it but I did you a big favor." He stood dramatically then and faced the crowd behind him. "I've successfully privatized world peace."

" _Oh, for the love of god, don't give the peace—"_ Tegan groaned in her head as he did just that, making her visibly cringe in her seat. The people there began to applaud for his like he was POTUS himself. She liked that they seemed to be in his corner but there was a sudden nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that it wasn't right..as if something terrible was gonna happen because of all the praise and gloating. Those type of emotions she didn't take lightly for they hadn't proved her wrong yet..

* * *

 _Chapter one done and done! As always, hope you guys enjoyed it. But let me know, I love reading your feedback. So until the next one, this is Lovely signing off!_

 ***Remember to either review, fave, or alert***

 **(Check my profile for the music playlist to the Infinity Heart series, updates, & more)**


	2. What a Knock Out

Yeah, this was supposed to be posted _much_ earlier..but I have yet to recover fully from Civil War. So..yeah.. _*curls back under the comfort of my handy shock blanket*_

 ** _-Lovely_**

* * *

 _Lots of Love to **grapejuice101** , **SomebodyWhoCares** , **adela** , **Like the river** , & **Guest** for your reviews last chapter._

 _Also, holy Cap's star-spangled buns! 51 favorites and 74 follows since being published?! Thanks so much, you beauties *smooches*_

* * *

 _ **-Pinky Swear**_

 _ **-Paring(s): Tony Stark/OC**_

 _ **-Rating: High T for language, suggested violence, and slight adult situations**_

 _ **-Movie-based**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man II. The characters belong to Marvel Studios and Stan Lee. I only own any OCs introduced.**_

* * *

 **chapter two:**

"What a Knock Out"

 _I'm only a fool for you_

 _And maybe you're too good for me_

 _I'm only a fool for you_

 _But I don't fucking care_

-Idfc, Blackbear

* * *

The sound of Tony Stark's confident voice mixed with the monotone Russian translator became background noise for Ivan Vanko. It unconsciously fueled him to pull through faster on his secret project which the genius would meet firsthand as he killed him in front of everyone and all who loved him. The violent reminder brought an eager smirk on the man's rough face.

It would be especially thrilling witnessing the expression his successor made then. His gaze drifted to the screen, seeing ever sought-after Tegan Hayes trying to leave the courtroom with an irritated expression as the press pestered her for comments. He clicked his tongue with a disappointed shake of his head. She was very different from Stark, personality-wise but not intelligence, but it was such a shame she proceeded to walk in the boisterous man's shadow. Therefore, she could not continue to live either.

As the finishing results glowed successfully before Ivan, he silently sent a deadly promise to the bane of his existence.

" _Revenge will be mine soon, Tony Stark."_

* * *

"Wake up. Daddy's home." The high-tech workshop awoke obediently at the sound of its' creator's voice. The four computer monitors and overhead lights glowed to life while blue toned holograms scanned the crowded room for an update report on what possibly needed fixing or adjusting.

" _Welcome home, sir."_ Jarvis, his loyal AI, greeted warmly. _"Congratulations on the opening ceremonies. They were such a success, as was your Senate hearing."_ A video of said event on Youtube was pulled up on the far left monitor. _"And may I say how refreshing it is to finally see you in a video with your clothing on, sir."_

Tony chuckled before breathing in, sighing happily. It was good to be back in his comfort place as always. It had only been two weeks since being home but it felt like an eternity. With his looming secret, he feared and never could tell when would be the last time he'd see or be in it. So Stark took every chance to spend his time in the workshop without rush and just enjoy himself.

"So what can I play with first?" he pondered aloud. Reviewing the scanning data, everything seemed in perfect order, no doubt thanks to Hayes, and all that needed work were the suits. But before he could do so, the man had to take his daily dose of chlorophyll which was clumsy and messily made by U—his newly made twin robot of Dum-E that he threaten to turn into a wine rack almost daily.

"How many ounces a day of this gobbledegook am I supposed to drink?" Stark asked the AI while pouring himself a glass of dark green liquid.

" _We are up to 80 ounces a day to counteract the symptoms, sir."_ The genius grimaced with false joy at the news and chugged it quickly down. Next, were to check his palladium levels.

The blood toxicity had gone up immensely since the night before—24% now. Jarvis informed that the continued used of the suit was accelerating his illness which he already known. Plus, it was burning out the Arc's palladium core more often than previously, resulting in him being scarred with dead protruding veins around the area.

Still knowing all those dangers, it wasn't like he could stop doing so especially after that now infamous Senate hearing. He sighed heavily. Sometimes Tony really hated not thinking of what his actions would later cause; always letting his pride and emotions get the better of him. Having Tegan beside him usually helped but not that time. Senator Stern and Hammer kept pushing all his buttons and he just had to put them in check for all their bullshit.

" _Madam is approaching."_ the AI stated, bringing his creator out of his jumbled thoughts. _"I recommend once again that you inform her—"_

"Mute." Jarvis was silenced right as the female genius stepped inside, fresh from her shower. Towel drying her damp hair, she strolled barefoot over to his desk dressed now in a sky blue v-neck and grey cotton shorts looking tempting as always for her lover. Literally, the girl could come out wearing a burlap sack and Stark would still want to jump her bones.

"Awfully quiet in here without the usual blaring classics." she noted teasingly, going around his desk before taking a seat on top of it.

"Nothing wrong with a little silence now and then." he smiled, rolling his stool to nestle himself between her long legs. "Unless you'd like to fill it with a more fun noise than music." The young woman blushed a bit but tried to act nonchalant about their sudden intimate position and his not-so subtle suggestion.

"Highly unlikely, Mr. Stark, since Pep called saying she was on her way." Tegan warned, "And from the sound of her voice, she knows about your little donation and is pissed."

He shrugged indifferently, drawing random patterns on her exposed thigh. His lover suppressed a delightful shiver. "Yeah..not surprised about that."

Grey eyes fixed him with a stern glare, crossing her arms. "I don't blame her for wanting to tear you a new one too. Spontaneously donating your _whole_ art collection to the Boy Scouts was stupid and unnecessary _._ As Indiana Jones would say, _'It belongs in a museum'_ , love." The older man smirked at her pop culture reference.

"Come on, the kids could use a little art in their lives along with learning to tie knots." Tony looked up at her with his readable dark browns of his. She could easily see the playfulness swirling in them. "Say, isn't it customary for the significant other to give a 'welcome home' kiss when their partner has been gone awhile?"

"In some countries, yes." replied Hayes with a sniff blankly. He pouted his lips up at her childishly then, waiting. She sighed, wondering what she was gonna do with this man, before caving in. His lover had been wanting this just as much as him anyway.

The kiss started closed mouthed until Stark's tongue licked along her bottom lip sensually. She parted her lips with a breathy pleased sigh, dying to let him roam. The man was insanely skilled in that peculiar intimate action which left her either dazed or gasping for more. But the unpleasant taste of something like wheat grass assaulted her mouth when he did and caused her to pull back, grimacing. Tony slightly whimpered at the lost of contact.

"Are you still drinking that disgusting health drink?"

"Yes, and that disgusting health drink is good for the body, young lady."

The female genius leaned forward, burying her face in his neck. "Well, I don't like it."

"Too bad." he chuckled before sighing, bitterly remembering his hidden affliction. "And I can't believe I'm saying this but we should stop anyway."

A mischievous smirk slowly formed on her kiss-swollen lips. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Stark?" Nips and open-mouth kisses were placed all along his throat. Eyes instantly falling shut, his head canted back a tad at the sensation. He grasped her hips, a low groan disrupting the quiet. Just hearing sexual sounds fill the silent room was a major turn on for Tony. He could feel himself become semi-stiff down below from that combined with his lover's sinful affections.

Pink lips now trailed along his jawline, still giving little bites now and then, before hovering over his skyward tilted own.

"Have you changed your mind now?." she whispered breathlessly, running her fingers slowly through his dark hair.

" _Oh, yes.."_ he thought hazy for her petting but managing to shake his head no slowly. _"But I'm not saying that aloud. I will not give in, you wicked temptress."_

"No? Well.." Tegan brushed her mouth tantalizingly close to his, giving only the lightest touch. Stark gasped like a man starving of thirst and he wanted nothing more than to drown in the young woman-turned-vixen at the moment. "..I have more exciting ways to persuade you, my love."

God, he was in deep. Never before had the genius yearned after anyone; it always being vice-versa. But it took a twenty-four year old Irish-born woman to make him almost beg for her touches like a dog did with treats. And with having to push her away some because of his secret, his unhealthy need for Tegan was to the point of suffocating. About to surrender to the forbidden lust and revealing the truth, Jarvis unexpected saved him once again.

" _Ms. Potts is about to enter the house, sir."_ he told smoothly, _"So it would be wise if you and Madam removed yourselves from your.._ _ **comprising**_ _seating arrangement."_ Two pairs of different colored eyes blinked before peering down at themselves. Somehow without realizing, Hayes ended up in Tony's lap with his hands firmly groping her butt and keeping her there. The two chuckled and removed themselves from each other with a little bit of reluctance.

"To be continued at a later time and date, Mr. Stark." the young woman promised in a seductive tone, draping her towel over his shoulders to hide to blossoming purple love bites.

She had just flopped down on the couch when Pepper appeared at the bottom of the stairs. His assistant was clearly still peeved from her deep frown and the angry way she pushed in her access code. So Hayes decided to stay quiet for this argument. Once inside, Potts went straight for the kill, glaring gaze focused on her boss.

"Is this a joke?" she questioned, voice raspy a tad. _Oh, no..she sounds sick,_ thought Tegan. Pepper was scary when mad..even worse so when she was under the weather. "What are you thinking?"

Stark gave a bewildered, innocent expression. "What?"

" _What are you thinking?_ " the woman stressed again to him.

"Hey, I'm thinking I'm busy and you're angry about something." He stepped around his desk. She sniffed in both anger and to clear her runny nose. "Do you have the sniffles? I don't wanna get sick."

Pepper ignored his impolite comment, continuing fiercely. "Did you just donate our entire modern art collection to the—"

"Boy Scouts of America." the two finished together. Tegan suppressed a laugh at the look they gave each other.

Tony shook his head, walking away with his assistant following. "It's a worthwhile organization. I didn't physically check the crates but basically, yes. And it's not _'our'_ collection, it's my collection. No offense."

"No, you know what? I think I'm actually entitled to say _'our'_ collection, considering the time that I put in, over ten years, curating that."

"It was a tax write-off. I needed that." Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a stress headache forming. Trying to get through to the genius was like talking to a brick wall. Anyway, it was really useless arguing about it seeing as the whole collection was already well in the hands of the Boy Scouts now.

She changed the subject instead. "You know, there's only about eight thousand and eleven things that I really need to talk to you about." Potts announced while Stark still half-listened.

"I need you to wear a surgical mask until you're feeling better." he requested over his shoulder. "Is that okay?"

"That's.." The under-the-weather woman coughed once. "That's rude. Back on topic, one example would be the Expo. It's a gigantic waste of time."

Tony rolled his dark eyes at that. "There's nothing more important to me than the Expo. It's my primary point of concern. I don't know why you're—"

"The Expo is your ego gone crazy. Tegan even agrees with me." the other woman stated then, making said person blanch. That was one topic she didn't want to hear or get involved in. She quickly but quietly stood, tiptoeing for the door without notice. Pepper's mention of her got the billionaire full attention. He scoffed in disbelief.

"Uh, I'm sorry, but you have some false information there. Tegan is completely with me on this."

"No. No, she is not. She just hasn't said anything because she doesn't want to upset you."

The two glared at each other before turning to glance over at the couch. "Right, Tegan?" The spot was empty. They peered at the door to see her standing there like a deer caught in headlight with the door in hand. She laughed nervously before sighing, releasing the handle from her grasp. The young woman suddenly felt as if she was a child caught in a nasty custody battle. But she wasn't gonna lie and Tony really did need to hear the harsh truth of reality that he believed himself to be untouchable from.

"Actually, Tony..since we're on the topic, I do agree with Pepper." His lover frantically tried to clarify further when noticing the small flicker of betrayal that crossed his face, ignoring the smug smile Pep wore as well. "On some things! Not everything! Like the Expo, I think, shouldn't be all year along. Maybe half that." _Or less.._

"Wow.." he uttered, looking away from her. Thinking he was upset with her, she stepped closer to apologize when he picked a framed portrait of Iron Man in in the likeness of the Obama 'Hope' poster.

"Look at that. That's modern art." Stark professed suddenly, brushing pass the dumbfounded women. "That's going up."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Potts exclaimed before proceeding into another topic-flopping argument about the state of Stark Industries to Tony replacing the Barnett Newman with the framed poster. And Tegan, the mediator as always, tried to calm them down but ended up getting a headache of her own instead.

"You know what? Enough already!" she shouted angrily, standing between them. The two bickering adults paused and looked at her, still peeved with each other. Now was the time to confess what's been floating around in her mind for the past couple months since her lover's stranger-than-usual behavior came about.

The female genius continued, her Irish lilt coming out strong. "Okay, I hate that it has to come to this and I was hoping it would be a long while until I had to agree. But I'm stepping up and asking— _no, demanding_ —to take your place as CEO of Stark Industries!"

She blew a strand of hair from her face, crossing her arms and staring at the two before her. Truthfully, the young woman didn't want to become CEO right now but felt she had no choice. Stark's was slowly becoming in shambles, stressing Pepper and the big wigs out. And she didn't want that for company she'd grown to admire since a child.

Pepper stood there with her mouth open, astonished while a grin nearly seemed to split Stark's face in two.

"All right, I'm all for it!" Tony rejoiced, pulling her into an almost crushing bear hug. "Aw, little Turtle is gonna walk in Daddy Stark's footsteps at last." He pretended to wipe away a tear. "I'm so proud." Tegan squirmed out of the genius' hold with her pale face bright red. His assistant thought it was from embarrassment which was and more. Tony's 'daddy' comment had a bit of a strange but pleasurable effect on the young woman.

" _Yeah, now is not the time to find out I might have a kink!"_ she scolded herself while saying calmly aloud. "One more thing too. I'll only fully committed if Pepper becomes co-CEO with me."

Blue eyes widen. "Me?"

"Yes." Tegan nodded. "You did great last time I made you in charge."

"Things were a lot simpler six months ago, Teg." she muttered warily, noticing the lack of former crazed co-founders and weaponized suits.

"Please. It won't just be you taking on the work load. I'll be there too." the younger woman begged, pouting with big grey puppy dog eyes. Potts sighed, knowing well she couldn't refuse when she did so. But Tegan was also right. With the both of them, it would still be hard but they could handle it since the women understood each other greatly after so many years together. Pepper trusted Hayes. Not only blessed with the same intelligence as her predecessor, that girl really did care about the future of Stark's.

"Okay." she smiled big at the two people she'd grown to love dearly, "I'm in." Champagne was gathered afterward in celebration. As the trio clinked glasses and drank, Tegan eyed the gleefully chatty genius suspiciously.

" _Was this his plan all along?"_

* * *

In order to discredit all that Tony said in the hearing, it needed to be done publicly. Killing Stark in front to thousands or millions that so-called adored him with the very technology he said no one else but he and his successor could create would be just the right act of revenge too for everything the Stark family had done to his own. Especially his deceased father. Ivan gritted his teeth angrily at the remembrance of his father, sick and on death's doorstep, apologize for it not being him in Tony Stark's place instead. He would make it up to the once great man who raised him so his soul could at last rest easily.

So, for the plan to get into motion, he enlisted the help from one of Stark's biggest enemies—the Ten Rings. Ivan had showed them what his Whiplash Armor could and what he was going to use it for. Once promising to help them recreate it for their army, he was in and told an agent of theirs would meet with him soon. Which was why he was waiting in shadows of a walkway for several minutes during a snow storm.

The agent eventually arrived as promised and handed over a small grey envelope for leaving. Inside, was a fake passport and the right documentation along with a ticket to the Grand Prix in Monaco which was only a few days away.

* * *

Tegan, dressed in a fitted black and white patterned off-the-shoulders dress, with Pepper beside her entered the in-home gym of the billionaire who was at that moment practice boxing with Happy. His former assistant informed him of the notary's arrival as the other woman headed outside onto the balcony.

The female genius sat down unladylike on floor and slipping off the constricting four-inch open toed pumps. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she wiggled feeling back into her numb toes.

" _Ah._ Home at last." The scent of salt water on the wind was refreshing and familiar. Tegan was so used to the constant sunshine and Pacific that she really didn't miss the cloudy weather back in England anymore. Basking in the sun, the young woman tried to reprieve. She'd been on her feet practically all day, running here and there to have meetings and finalize everything for the transfer of the company. Not even CEO yet and she was exhausted.

" _A busy day at the garage hasn't left me this drained before either."_

A deep frown formed on her pretty face at that thought. Because of her sudden decision, she quit working at the car shop after seven years; having been there since the time she was eighteen. Informing of her departure was bittersweet. Hugs and laughs were passed around. Her former co-workers were clearly sad to see her go but understood, assuring her she was more than welcome to come help out whenever she needed a break. Which was kind but Hayes would really miss talking cars or goofing off with them on a daily basis.

" _Shit..with all this happening now, I have to put finishing the Camaro off for a bit too."_ she realized, biting her lip hard. Oh no. Tears were threatening to bubble to the surface..

"..You all right, Tegan?" Watery grey eyes looked up to find her best friend Joven looking handsome in a button-up and slacks. His eyes, those well-known green with lovely speckles of amber brown ones, peered down at her with a concerned smile. She hadn't even hear him walk up, too lost in her depressing thoughts. Standing wordlessly, she pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face in his chest.

"Teg?" he called, more worried.

"I'm fine. Just tired." came her soft false reply. He grimaced, unconvinced, but didn't push. Instead, allowing her to continue holding on while he stroked her long brown hair like he always did to calm her. It made her want to cry even more, also worried before he wouldn't do so after everything between them. But she was glad to still have him as a reliable friend and someone to go to when she couldn't with Tony.

As the companions held each other, they didn't notice said person glancing in their direction as he stepped out of the boxing ring. His dark eyes widen before narrowing with jealousy as he witnessed the loving expression on the younger man.

" _What is she thinking?"_ he thought angrily, _"The kid is still smitten, for Christ's sake! Don't hug him like that."_ A pitiful, envious voice added then, _"I should be the one you do that with only.."_ He mentally shook his head and took a seat next to Pepper.

Once urge to break down subsided was gone, the young woman stepped back with an embarrassed smile.

Joven tilted his head at her, smiling as well. "Better now?"

She laughed softly. "Yup. What about you? You've been sick, right?"

"Uh-huh, I was." he nodded, "Thought I'd come by and let you know I'm well and healthy again."

"Hmm, that's funny. Pepper's done being sick too." Her gaze drifted over to Potts who was talking with a red-haired woman. _Gosh, was I really that stuck in my mind to block out everything?_ She turned back to her friend with a mischievous smile. The young man just raised a confused brow. "Must be a bug going around.."

"Yeah, there must be." McBride simply shrugged. Tegan pouted a bit, annoyed he didn't take her bait. She was still trying to figure out who his mystery girl was and believed it to be Pepper..thanks to the cold both ended up coincidentally contracting at the same time.

"How do I spell you name, Natalie?" came Stark's voice from inside loudly then. Curious, the two friends headed back inside, joining the man and Potts.

"Wow. Very, very impressive individual." Tony commented. Hayes glanced over his shoulder and immediately frowned. He was background checking Natalie who currently stood in the ring with his bodyguard.

"You're so predictable, you know that?" sighed Pepper from beside him.

The young woman whispered in her ear, "What's all this about?"

"Tony believes Ms. Rushman is just what he needs as his new assistant." she replied, all but rolling her eyes.

"Well, she is." he interjected, "Listen to this. She is fluent in French, Italian, Russian..Latin? Who speaks Latin?" Joven scoffed in disbelief at what was occurring. The billionaire was openly praising the woman of discussion right in front of his girlfriend.

"No one speaks Latin anymore. It's considered a dead language." Hayes deadpanned, "Read? Yes. Speak? Nope."

"Hey, did you model in Tokyo?" the man inquired his former assistant casually. "'Cause she modeled in Tokyo. See? I need her. She clearly has got everything that I need."

"Oh, please. She's not _that_ impressive, Stark!" the other woman remarked, doubtful.

Her lover inwardly smirked. _"Someone seems jealous.."_ She shook her head and started walking away, seeming disinterested now. But her long-time companion knew better..the girl was seething underneath that bored mask.

He followed after her. "Tegan—"

"Oh, my god!" Pepper's sudden shriek caused the two young people to turn back. There, in the ring, Rushman had poor Happy in leg choke hold. She quickly released him and stepped out like she hadn't just flipped a grown man with utter ease.

"Wow.." Joven blinked in awe along with Tony and Pepper. Tegan, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath before stomping away, not wanting to admit she was too.

* * *

 _Y'all don't know the struggle I had keeping that sensual scene between Teg and Tony on the fine line of PG-13. So, who knows..smutty goodness could happen in the near future now *eyebrow wiggle_

 _Lovely's Thank You Section_

 **[Readers who favorite]**

Shadowsammy, Reedy-Girl, LadyBugQueen421, ILittleLatinaI, lostfeather1, EctopicKnight2, Lyric Dreams, Stalona, TwoHeartedMarauder, IsobelFrances, monkeysmallfry02, LilyMayRose, Lucy Stark, MariaM95, MarvelWorksWonders, SlytherinHolmes, TimeLordCompanion, amatista1996, camsam17, emmybear0216, hayhay196, hrodenhaver, itsolive, taurielles

 **[Readers who follow]**

Warrior of Faith, Being Normal Is Boring, sweetwizard88, Catherine. alice, BlueEyedGunSlinger, BludgerToTheKnee, CookieLover200001, kelbell79, jsmn612, hannah. kaho, The Name Is Greed, Vyxen Hexgrim, carbon13, bowling101, Random2Friends, JanaWalker2209, meggieXx, tallgirl32, Reedy-Girl, colorfulimagination123, LillianOrtega, AngiLOVE3, DinoPower, Lara Barnes, MaryElisabeth, Nevergonnafitin, ProperEnglish, SLPlove, SomebodyWhoCares, SpiritofaWaterGoddess, The Anonymous J, angelic13demon, animexchick, booknerdallie, cutelittlekitten18, fmmh, iamalex117, katniss12, lolsmileyface6, obbbid, sarahrachel21, silent song of shadows, tammymikaelson-downey, xPunkyFishx

 **[Readers who did both]**

redhoodfan, Don't-Say-It-Feel-It, kira kitty 21, Weirdo Named Carter, Hatersgonnahate99, ILittleLatinaI, lostfeather1, Naomi97, kruemel01, TwoHeartedMarauder, Superpersonman, TEENWOLFISAWESOME, trickst3r-97, Always and a day Love, The mad wolf, YNoThinkBrain, Aiphira, Calliope's Scribe, Devious Neko Boi, Kazz the 13th, Lili Tommo, LuceRunsAway, MARVELanonymous, NekoAria14, The Captains Muse, Voldymoldy666, grapejuice101, i love athrun, rabbitkirsty, soyo5050

 ***Remember to either review, fave, or alert***

 **(Check my profile for the music playlist to the Infinity Heart series, updates, & more)**


	3. Wicked Games

Hey! Bet you were worried you wouldn't hear from me again. Sorry about being MIA for a year with this story. Blame life and other crap.

Anyway, I still have to recharge my writing skills after taking such a long break which is why this chapter is kinda short. But it's better than leaving you guys with nothing still. Hopefully, the next one should be longer and out far quicker. So, enjoy and thanks for waiting so long! **-xoxo, Lovely**

* * *

Lots of Love to _grapejuice101, SomebodyWhoCares, Kingdom Hearts Slayer, SmillyReaper, Counting Sinful Stars, HoneyLemonCake17, kimmi9x, gwenwesley & my three Guests_ for your reviews last chapter. And rest of you for 110 favs and 154 follows!

* * *

 **-Pinky Swear**

 **-Paring(s): Tony Stark/OC**

 **-Rated High T for colorful language, violence, and minor adult situations**

 **-Disclaimer: _I don't own Iron Man II. The canon characters belong to Marvel Studios and Stan Lee. I only own the original characters introduced._**

* * *

 **chapter three:**

"Wicked Games"

 _I am in misery_

 _There ain't nobody who can comfort me_

 _Why won't you answer me?_

 _The silence is slowly killing me_

 _Girl you really got me bad_

 _You really got me bad_

 _Now I'm gonna get you back_

 _I'm gonna get you back_

-Misery, Maroon 5

* * *

Pepper and the two geniuses soon found themselves in Monaco as guests for the Grand Prix. This tended to be an annual occurrence, thanks to _Stark's_ sponsoring one of the vehicles. Tony also greatly enjoyed watching the race, especially while seducing the local French women there. But that was no longer an option for him anymore; now in a secret committed relationship after all.

It was one of the many things different about that year's visit. Along with the unknown disappearance of his bachelor status, his health was slowly waning. Hayes and Potts were already well known by world as the new CEOs of Stark Industries.

And..there was an unspoken tension currently stewing.

Potts shifted uncomfortably for the fourth time since entering the car. The tense atmosphere lingering in the air was to the point of suffocating in the small confined space. She was almost at her breaking point having to be unwillingly endure the horrible feeling. Every instinct inside her wanted to flee, but was unfortunately trapped at the moment.

Instead, wary blue eyes shifted to the culprits.

Tony sat beside her slouching with arms crossed, visibly pouting and glaring at the back to the passenger seat's headrest like a fuming child. The immature anger was directed at none other than Hayes. Who sat there—a quiet beauty in her tailored black blazer over a collared button-down shirt and dress pants—seemingly unperturbed as her grey orbs stayed glue to her phone. Just texting away as if she didn't feel daggers aimed at her.

The older woman sighed softly. The sudden dispute had been occurring for the past four days now. Both being far too stubborn to forgive or discuss whatever they were currently fighting about. But she knew they wanted nothing more than to do so; having caught the not-so-subtle pleading glances directed at each other whenever either weren't looking. And ever the mediator, she tried gently asking what was wrong as a way to help get things moving. Except only to receive a peeved 'Talk to him/her' each time that resulted in the frustrating cycle the trio were stuck in.

But then again, this wasn't the first time Pepper witnessed such interactions. They had done so too many times to count over the course of years since living together.

Except this time, it felt strangely different. Even the usually oblivious Happy noticed their behavior was more odd than normal.

" _Almost seems like a lovers' spat if I didn't know any better."_ he joked one day. She instantly rejected his comment. While Tegan's closeness and admiration towards Tony could easily be mistaken for unrequited affections, Pepper knew the truth. The younger woman firmly stated on more than one occasion that she only saw her predecessor as a parental sorta figure, considering him and Potts as her second family and close friends. The same thoughts going for her former employer as well. So, she figured this was just another familial-like spat that would hopefully be over soon.

Oh, how in the dark and close to the actual truth she was.

* * *

Even since the encounter with Ms. Rushman, Tegan refused to speak with her lover. It didn't take her long to figured out the real reason for his sudden infatuation with the overly-perfect redhead. He wanted to get under her skin on purpose. All because he was jealous she remained close to Joven even after their mutual breakup. Such as sharing comforting hugs that seemed far too intimate than just friendly. While other girls would be flattered by his jealousy, it pissed her off. How could he insecurely believe she'd get swept away by her best friend's affections again and end up dumping him for the other boy? No matter how adamantly the young woman stated her love for only him.

So, the cold shoulder was being given until he admitted his unjust actions.

And during all of it, she found herself complain once again to McBride.

 **I feel him glaring at the back of my head. This is horrible!** , she texted.

 _ **Don't tell me he's pouting like a little kid too?**_ Grey eyes hidden behind dark-tinted sunglasses peeked at the side rear-view mirror then.

 **He is! With his arms cross too! Dear god..*pensive emoji*** In response, Joven sent only a laughing emoji; almost making her throw her phone from irritation. While he assisted her in coping with not speaking to Stark, the artist couldn't help but find the whole thing unfortunately amusing.

Thankfully, the group arrived at their destination then— _the Hotel de Paris._ It was the famed place where rich elites went to either stay or watch the ongoing race in luxurious style. Also, the perfect place for paparazzi to lurk around..Hayes mentally grimaced while stepping out to the screaming crowd and flashing camera lights. This was something she still had to work at getting used to. Constantly in limelight as much as the billionaire, thanks to her new position; no longer allowed to just stand on the sidelines.

Her phone chimed, signaling another text message. A deep frown formed as she went to check it, already expecting another annoying reply from her best friend.

 _ **Don't worry, Teg. You got this. *thumbs up emoji***_

She smiled softly at the screen, grateful for the encouragement.

Unfortunately, her small bubble of happiness didn't last long. And it was thanks to the appearance of a familiar pretty redhead. Strolling up to their group the second they entered the hotel's bar lounge, all polite and professional in a cerise tight fitted dress that no doubt would cause many wandering eyes while in the room.

"Mr. Stark, hello. How was your flight?" she asked with that ever-seductive tone of hers. Tony happily greeted her while Pepper stood there in disbelief. But not Tegan. No, instead of standing there in skeptical anger, she laughed. Full blown belly laughed with her head tossed back at the entrance of the lounge, making everyone around stop and curiously stare. Potts, Stark, and Rushman stared at her too, equally confused.

Why the bizarre joyous reaction? Because she knew all along he would stoop to such a petty level, having learned a lot about the man after living with him for so many years. Hire poor innocent Natalie as his new assistant just to get even more under her stubborn skin. Oh, don't be fooled either. Under the giddy laughter, she was beyond pissed. But the female genius wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing that. If he wanted to witness and know how much someone dislike his immature actions, he could gladly get it from dear Pepper instead.

Carefully wiping a tear from her eye, the young woman straighten with a light chuckle. "Man, it's been awhile since I've laughed that hard. Thanks for that, Natalie."

"Uh..you're welcome?" she replied, baffled by the situation now. No longer with that mature enticing air lingering around her. It just made Hayes even more wickedly gleeful.

"Tegan, are you alright?" Pepper voiced her concern softly. Dark browns narrowed as Stark took in his lover's laid-back stance and slight smirk. Instantly sensing his stare, her smokey ones briefly met his. A deep frown graced his lips as he read what they were silently telling.

' _You'll have to do better than that, love.'_

Hayes smiled brightly at the older woman then. "Oh, yeah. I'm peachy. In fact, I'm feeling so good, I'm gonna head to the bar and celebrate with a stiff drink like a truth Irish." With a lazy finger wave, she strolled away without another glance back.

* * *

It didn't take long for the billionaire join his lover as she casually leaned against the bar counter, nursing the glass of whiskey she ordered.

"I don't mean to suddenly spring this on you," he began, "But _green_ is not your best color, babe." She rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink and deciding to end the silent treatment with a snarky remark.

"Really? Coming from the man who loves declaring," she whispered, mindful of the people around them. "How much seeing me in only my over-sized dark green knit sweater 'gets him going'."

"You seem tense?" Tony brushed off her biting words with annoying ease. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was getting a sick kick out of all this. But one real look in his gaze showed how miserable he truly was; matching her own no doubt. A price to pay being the stubborn creatures they were..The white flag wouldn't be waved until one of them went mad and caved in or some other source forced them to do so. "Want a massage? I'll have Natalie make an appointment while we're here."

Hayes turned fully to face him with a snide smile. "Actually, that would be lovely! Make sure she gets one with the finest male masseuse on hand, please."

Stark smiled back. "Heh, you just love playing with fire, don't ya?" She leaned forward, so their faces were agonizingly close. Allowing the sensation of their rushed breaths to caress against each other skin. The older man swallowed and tried not to let his eyes linger down to her soft mouth that he constantly yearned for.

Her tongue flicked out, wetting those pretty lips of hers before speaking in a salacious tone. "You would know."

Now, it was Hayes' turn at playing dirty as she figuratively stoked the flames of his lust. Their gaze remained heatedly locked at each other until none other than Justin Hammer broke their rising sexual tension, having noticing Tony standing nearby. The geniuses gave a low groan in unison. They may be angry with each other, but their mutual hate for the failing arms dealer would be enough to bring them momentarily together.

"Hey, pal." the other man greeted, unfortunately joining the two. "Looks like you're not the only rich guy here with a fancy car." And as if the already trying situation couldn't get worse, he was joined by Stark's last known one-night stand with a personal vendetta against him and Tegan's 'thorn in her side', journalist Christine Everhart.

"You know Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair. You guys know each other?"

"Yes, _roughly_." answered Tony, causing his lover's eyes to roll. Justin, much to her utter joy, turned the attention on Tegan as well.

"Btw, big story." he pointed at her, making her squirm inside. "One of the new CEOs of Stark Industries. Congratulations."

"I know!" Christine said with such false glee, it made the other woman sick with annoyance. "My editor will kill me if I don't grab a quote from you and Ms. Potts for our Powerful Women issue."

"She's actually doing a big spread on me for Vanity Fair." Hammer interjected nonchalantly, "I thought I'd throw her a bone, you know." Tegan's wickedness returned full force then. The opportunity to subtly bring up the journalist's dirty laundry too good to pass up.

The female genius noted in a deadpanned voice, "Right..She did quite _the spread_ on Tony last year. It was very impressive from what I heard." Once she saw the fake smile drop from Everhart's face, she decided to excuse her. "Well, let me go find Pepper, so we came give you those quotes you need."

Once again, she left Stark behind, ignoring his soft plead not to leave him alone with them. Another punishment for his silly payback. By the time she found Potts across the room seated at one of the reserved tables, Hayes felt incredibly exhausted from everything that occurred in less than thirty minutes. She dropped unladylike in a chair beside her friend and audibly sighed.

"That seemed like a fun conversation just now." the former assistant grimaced, having seen the interaction with Justin and Christine from afar.

"You have no idea." Tegan threw back the rest of her drink, hissing as the liquor burn down her throat. A momentary distraction from the tiredness now making her sluggish. How she wanted nothing more than to be back at home, down in the basement working on either the suits or her car while enjoying the company of Jarvis and Dum-E.

" _And Tony if he wasn't being an arse."_ she frowned, glaring into her empty glass. A smug grin formed on pale pink lips then. "It was especially fun when I mentioned the _fun_ Tony and Miss Everhart previously had together."

Blue eyes widen with astonishment. "You didn't?"

"Oh, I most certainly did!" They snickered like mischievous little kids and ordered more drinks for themselves. At least, they had each other while dealing with unfavorable people and Stark's shenanigans.

* * *

 **BLOOD TOXICITY:** ** _53%_**

Damn. That wasn't good. Not good at fucking all. No matter how much chlorophyll he drank to counteract, the deadly symptoms persisted. Even faster now, it seemed. It had only been a couple days ago, that it was at twenty-four percent.

His future seemed even more bleak now without a possible solution.

For it wouldn't be long now before he could barely function because of the illness. Helpless, as his poisonous blood corroded his internal organs and brilliant mind until he died a slow painful death. His friends..his lover..having to suffer before and after he was gone.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut as the image of Tegan's crying devastated face flashed across his mind. He promised he wouldn't leave her again. That she wouldn't have to go through the pain of losing him so soon.

Yes, he knew he should tell her and end their petty feud..but he couldn't. While the possibility of them working could help find a solution faster, it was still too much of a fifty-fifty chance for him to risk. The genius didn't want to witness the young woman's hopes become so high, only to later crash violently to the ground.

He sighed heavily, peering at his weary face in the restroom's mirror.

So, what was he gonna do now?

* * *

"I was just about to tell him that ten percent was far too much, when he flew backwards like he was shot out of a cannon into a wall!" Tegan happily retold the infamous thruster story as she entertained Elon Musk and other guests that gather around her table. Thanks to Pepper's company and two more glasses of whiskey, she was once again in a good mood. Not even noticing Stark's sudden disappearance..

About to ramble into yet another funny and embarrassing story, Everhart suddenly appeared from the small crowd with a slight sly smirk. "It seems Mr. Stark is quite the adrenaline junkie then."

The younger woman narrowed her eyes. "I don't know about that—"

"Are you sure?" She then pointed to one of the flat screens showing the race. "Because driving the very race car he's sponsoring seems like he is."

"What?!" exclaimed Potts and Hayes, turning to see. Sure enough, there was a suited up Tony down in the pit stop. What are earth was he doing?! Sure, he owned several fast cars, but competitive racing wasn't his day job. He was playboy billionaire philanthropist, not a damn professional race car driver!

While the female genius promised bodily harm towards Stark aloud and Pepper hurriedly called over Natalie in hopes of getting some answers, the race had officially began..with none other than Ivan lurking among the crew, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself and his deadly invention.

And, once and for all, finally bring an end to the rotten Stark legacy.

* * *

Lovely's Thank You Section

 **[Readers who favorite]**

kathxx, kimmi9x, jazmineberrocal, TriggerShotX, jessjones, Ionian, WolfAssassin369, Lady Luna Hale, Em-x. everlasting, miki-pan, JohnnyStormsGirl, Melissa Cullen since 1994, Shar82204, Snipe Hunter 98, Kingdom Hearts Slayer, Honeybunny0114, leandra. quek, julia. skocz1, Dimplez010, Viciate, PrincessMagic, & Lord-Disick

 **[Readers who follow]**

Mika927, krishachheda, love-twilight-fanfics, SlayerBunny, ohchoa, MiharuTousaka, jazmineberrocal, ReadingFairy1202, avonluxfeu, Little. Didith, LadyLuna0424, kindlekix, Taylorthedevil, An Kenzie, lady candace, smoonchester, MPDreamer82, paddyfoot92, Kuroppoi, Kitsune, VigilxThroughxThexNight, ChezaTakehashii, cheesepuffs46, Judy85, Counting Sinful Stars, XoXoHarryPotterGirl, cnyonghwa, Dove Salvatore 21051, SilverWolf1992, SweetieCherrie, blackNdeadly, Neredia, MissGeeky, Vamp-Girl27, samdeanfan, DeltaSigmaTheta, Ghostbuster30, briibriih, Carly noemy, Frydraca, Sarr, Untilweburnout, HoneyLemonCake16, xxDreamWalkerxx, sabrintb, & pickuplinesfromhell

 **[Readers who did both]**

SerrafinaDrake, gwenwesley, LuckySock, MoonRei22, Pratyusha123456789, kimikokimono, grace4735x, HPTWVD202, aby14a, lozzer16, IdaRose89, WeWereBorn-ToShipVICTUURI, JRWolfDactyl0223, dysfunctionality, madstar95, Theresa5155, xTalkNerdyToMe, Barbie on Crutches, RavenSparrow, StrongerThanILook0616, xXThatRandomKidXx, TallAfroMidget, JediGemini, MiisSexyBaby, zuzz, Lulu Olufemi, chodofaggins, Bruna Santos 30, Honeybunny0114, leandra. quek, Valeria Martins, RedPlanetGalaxy, Maximum Hope Power, zwadloe, amandacarr1991, Liv724, Roseroserosexxx, AquaRoseWaters, & MasterSpecter

 ***Remember to either review, fave, & alert***

 **(Check my profile for the music playlist for The Infinity Heart series, updates, & more)**


End file.
